(1) Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to a method of plumbing a tub and shower, and also to a special fitting for performing the method.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The commercial process of new home construction on site may require that the vertical studs of bathroom walls be erected prior to installation of the type of bath and shower tub that extends vertically beyond the height of water flow control fixtures. In such cases, plumbing to the tub, including a valve for controlling the flow of water to the tub and shower may be ‘roughed in’ prior to the installation of drywall or other finished wall material. This roughing in process is generally performed by a plumber that visits the site of the construction and then leaves the roughed in tub and shower until drywall installers, painters, electricians and the like complete their work in the bathroom. The plumber then returns to finish the tub and shower with trim pieces such as showerheads, tub spouts, tub and shower valve controls and the like.
FIG. 1 shows a roughed in tub and shower 10 including a valve 25 connected to a water line 71 for a showerhead and a water line 72 for a tub spout. The valve 25 is not secured in place in FIG. 1 and is therefore subject to becoming displaced during the plumber's absence to a position behind the tub 64 where the valve 25 is not accessible for attaching trim pieces when the plumber returns. To prevent this displacement from occurring, it is common to attach with a pair of fasteners a finish trim piece 49 to the valve 25 on the inside of the tub 64, which is installed against the wall studs 83, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
While this process has proven be satisfactory for securing the valve 25 in place, the trim piece 49 is often damaged during work performed in the bathroom by other workers during the plumber's absence. Also, the plumber may be required to purchase the trim piece 49 as part of a larger package prior to roughing in the tub and shower, and stock the remainder of the pieces in the larger package until the bathroom is ready to be trimmed out, which often leads to loss of or damage to some of the pieces in the larger trim package. Furthermore, if a homebuyer purchases the home in the interim and desires a different trim package than that of the one installed during roughing in, a different one of the larger packages may have to be ordered and the trim piece 49 replaced. Thus, there is a need for a method for plumbing a tub and shower of a new home construction that overcomes these problems.